KABUL – Afghan President Hamid Karzai accused the United States of launching a drone strike that killed a 2-year-old child on Thursday, and vowed to not sign a long-term security agreement if such attacks continued.
In a statement, Karzai said a suspected U.S. “pilot-less aircraft” fired into a house shortly before noon in Helmand province, killing the child and wounding two women. Karzai said the information was relayed to him by the governor of the province, Mohammad Naem.
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Spokesmen for the U.S. led coalition did not respond to requests for comment. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul referred questions to the international coalition.
Though few details were available Thursday night, the allegations are likely to stoke tension over Karzai’s reluctance to endorse a plan that would allow several thousand U.S. troops to remain in Afghanistan after 2014.
After a year of negotiations, the Obama administration had thought it had finalized an agreement with Karzai last week to permit up to 15,000 foreign troops to remain in Afghanistan to train and assist its military.
But Karzai has been reluctant to sign it, saying he first wants assurances that the United States won’t meddle in Afghan elections next year, will cease military raids on Afghan homes, and will help launch peace talks between Karzai’s government and Taliban insurgents. For the latter, Karzai has also demanded that the United States release 17 Afghan prisoners from the Guantanamo Bay detention center.
Now, Karzai has added a reduction of U.S. airstrikes to his list of demands.
“This attack shows that American forces are not respecting the life and safety of Afghan people’s houses,” Karzai said in the statement. He added, “For years our innocent people have become victims of the war under the name of terrorism and they have had no safety in their homes.”
If such “oppressions by foreign forces continue,” Karzai said in the statement, he will not sign the security agreement.
The alleged death of the child comes one week after Karzai accused American special forces of killing two Afghan civilians during a raid on a house in eastern Afghanistan. Karzai’s assertion angered coalition commanders, who insisted the men were “armed insurgents.” They accused Karzai of using “allegations of civilian deaths for political purposes.”
But Karzai cited the incident as justification for his decision to delay the signing of the agreement. During a meeting Monday with U.S. National Security Adviser Susan E. Rice, Karzai demanded that American troops immediately stop entering the homes of Afghan citizens, his spokesman said.
The Obama administration responded by saying that if the agreement is not signed by the end of the year, it would have no choice but to begin preparations for a full withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan next year.
“It’s not something that we want to foresee or want to pursue,” U.S. Ambassador James B. Cunningham told Afghan reporters Wednesday. But, Cunningham added, “it could be a consequence of decisions that your government takes or doesn’t take.”
Karzai’s stance has befuddled Western analysts, and is a growing concern for many Afghan political leaders, who believe Karzai is endangering Afghanistan’s security because the agreement also includes $4 billion in annual U.S. funding for the Afghan military.
On Sunday, a council of 2,500 Afghan tribal leaders and civic activists endorsed the agreement and called on Karzai to quickly sign it. In his statement Thursday, Karzai accused the United States of undermining the spirit of that gathering by launching the airstrike that he said killed a child.
Sayed Salahuddin in Kabul contributed to this report
In a statement, Karzai said a suspected U.S. “pilot-less aircraft” fired into a house shortly before noon in Helmand province, killing the child and wounding two women. Karzai said the information was relayed to him by the governor of the province, Mohammad Naem.
Kensington Palace charity dinner, Dame Edna, Central African Republic, a “horse whisperer” and more.
Latest stories from Foreign
Chico Harlan Beijing has yet to respond to incursions into the disputed area, including those made by U.S. planes.
Abigail Hauslohner The killing continues in Libya’s second-largest city, and the government appears unable to stop it.
Erin Cunningham Anti-government forces are drawing support from universities where Islamists have deep roots.
Rama Lakshmi The sun-seekers’ haven of Goa has become a hub for drug traffickers and recreational users, police say.
Tim Craig Many Afghans say the leader is jeopardizing nation’s security by making new demands of Washington.
Spokesmen for the U.S. led coalition did not respond to requests for comment. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul referred questions to the international coalition.
Though few details were available Thursday night, the allegations are likely to stoke tension over Karzai’s reluctance to endorse a plan that would allow several thousand U.S. troops to remain in Afghanistan after 2014.
After a year of negotiations, the Obama administration had thought it had finalized an agreement with Karzai last week to permit up to 15,000 foreign troops to remain in Afghanistan to train and assist its military.
But Karzai has been reluctant to sign it, saying he first wants assurances that the United States won’t meddle in Afghan elections next year, will cease military raids on Afghan homes, and will help launch peace talks between Karzai’s government and Taliban insurgents. For the latter, Karzai has also demanded that the United States release 17 Afghan prisoners from the Guantanamo Bay detention center.
Now, Karzai has added a reduction of U.S. airstrikes to his list of demands.
“This attack shows that American forces are not respecting the life and safety of Afghan people’s houses,” Karzai said in the statement. He added, “For years our innocent people have become victims of the war under the name of terrorism and they have had no safety in their homes.”
If such “oppressions by foreign forces continue,” Karzai said in the statement, he will not sign the security agreement.
The alleged death of the child comes one week after Karzai accused American special forces of killing two Afghan civilians during a raid on a house in eastern Afghanistan. Karzai’s assertion angered coalition commanders, who insisted the men were “armed insurgents.” They accused Karzai of using “allegations of civilian deaths for political purposes.”
But Karzai cited the incident as justification for his decision to delay the signing of the agreement. During a meeting Monday with U.S. National Security Adviser Susan E. Rice, Karzai demanded that American troops immediately stop entering the homes of Afghan citizens, his spokesman said.
The Obama administration responded by saying that if the agreement is not signed by the end of the year, it would have no choice but to begin preparations for a full withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan next year.
“It’s not something that we want to foresee or want to pursue,” U.S. Ambassador James B. Cunningham told Afghan reporters Wednesday. But, Cunningham added, “it could be a consequence of decisions that your government takes or doesn’t take.”
Karzai’s stance has befuddled Western analysts, and is a growing concern for many Afghan political leaders, who believe Karzai is endangering Afghanistan’s security because the agreement also includes $4 billion in annual U.S. funding for the Afghan military.
On Sunday, a council of 2,500 Afghan tribal leaders and civic activists endorsed the agreement and called on Karzai to quickly sign it. In his statement Thursday, Karzai accused the United States of undermining the spirit of that gathering by launching the airstrike that he said killed a child.
Sayed Salahuddin in Kabul contributed to this report